Combined door actuating and locking device



S. B. HASELTINE COMBINED DOOR AOTUATING AND LOCKING DEVICE Filed July 2, 1931' May 1, 1934.

Ill: lN -llll llll'l Patented May l, 1934 COMBINED noon ACTUATENG Ann Locimie nnvicn Stacy B. Haseltine, Chicago,

1511., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc, Chicago, Ill, a corporation of Delaware Application July 2, 1931, Serial No. 548,357

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in combined door actuating and locking devices.

One object of the invention is to provide a combined door actuating and locking device for hinged doors of refrigerator cars, of the rotary bar type having crank members cooperating with keepers, wherein the operating bar is latorally offset with respect to the crank arms, and the bar is guided for movement toward and 10 away from the door during operation thereof, and movement of the crank arms is controlled so as to displace the crank portions of the actuator laterally in a plane parallel to the door, thereby assuring proper engagement thereof with the keeper members to retain the actuating device in door locking position by swinging the crank arms to a position substantially perpendicular to the plane of the closed door.

Another object of the invention is toprovide simple and efficient guiding and supporting means for a door operator of the rotary bar type having crank means cooperating with slotted keepers, and for controlling the path of movement of the keeper engaging crank members while permitting rotation of the operating bar through an arc of approximately 180, whereby the keeper engaging pins'of the crank members will be displaced laterally relative to the door during the closing operation while also being rotated, thereby disposing the crank arms perpendicular to the plane of the door when completely closed, thus eliminating any tendency of the actuator to be accidentally rotated through the pressure on the crank pins and thus maintaining the actuating means in looking position.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a door operator of the rotary bar type, mounted on the door and having crank mem- 40 bers at opposite ends thereof cooperating with keepers having elongated cam slots receiving the crank pins of the crank members, wherein the inner ends of the crank arms of said members are provided with bearing means guided for movement in a path substantially parallel to the plane of the door during rotation of the actuating bar, and wherein the actuating bar is laterally offset with respect to said bearing portions at the inner ends of the crank arms, and is guided for movement in a path perpendicular to the path of the door, whereby the path of movement of the crank pins of the crank members is so controlled that when the operating bar is rotated in door closing direction through an arc of 180, the crank pins will enter the open ends of the cam slots of the keepers and travel laterally in the same while the crank arms will assume a position perpendicular to the plane of the door when closed and the crank engage with the outer walls of the cam slots, and the crank pins will travel laterally in a reverse direction in the cam slots so as to be entirely disengaged from the same when the actuating bar is rotated in a reverse direction to a corresponding extent.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a mechanism of the character specified in the preceding paragraph, simple and efficient guide means for producing the results pointed out, comprising combined supporting and guide 7 brackets for the top and bottom end portions of the rotary actuating means, each having separate guideways at right angles to each other respectively cooperating with bearing means on the operating bar concentric with the bar and '}5 bearing means at the inner end of the corresponding crank arms eccentric to the axis of rotation of said bar.

Other objects of the invention will be more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevational view of a pair of hinged doors mounted on the side wall of a refrigerator car, illustrating my improvements in 5 connection therewith. Figure 2 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the upper keeper of my improved door actuating and locking means, showing the actuating bar and upper crank member thereof in door locking position, and also illustrating in dotted lines another position of said bar and crank member. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, corresponding to the line 3 of Figure 1. Figure, 4 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged 5 scale, corresponding substantially to the line 4 l of Figure l and showing the upper end section of the combined actuating and locking means in elevation. And Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, said view also being on an enlarged scale.

In said drawing, 10 indicates the side wall of a refrigerator car, and 11 the door opening in said wall, which is closed by a pair of swinging doors l2 and 13. The doors are hinged along their vertical outer edges by hinge member 14-4 As is usual in refrigerator car door construction, the meeting edges of the doors l2 and 13 are beveled and the remaining edges of the doors, which engage the walls of the door opening, are also beveled, the usual insulating material being employed along said beveled edges. The doors are so designed that the door 13 must be first closed. This door is swung to closed position manually and secured in that position by a latch member 15 which is in the form of a finger pivoted to the lower keeper of the door operating means, hereinafter more fully described. As shown in Figure 1, the

latch finger 15 engages with the lower right-hand corner of the door 13, and a wear plate 16 is secured to the corner of the door to protect the same.

My improved combined door actuating and locking means comprises broadly a rotary actuating bar A; end members BE at the top and bottom ends of the bar having bearing portions concentric with the axis of rotation of the bar A and keeper engaging crank members proper with the crank arms offset with respect to the bar; combined bearing and guide brackets 0-0 for the top and bottom ends of the combined actuating and locking device; and keepers DD with the which the crank pins of the keeper engaging members cooperate.

The operating bar A is in the form of an elongated member of substantially rectangular crosssection and has the end members BB fixed thereto. Each end member 13 comprises a forked portion 17, which receives the corresponding end of the operating bar, the forked portion being preferably riveted to said bar, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4. Each end member 13 outwardly of the forked portion is provided with a substantially cylindrical section 18, which is concentric to the axis of rotation of the bar A, and cooperates with the corresponding combined bearing and guide bracket C as hereinafter pointed out. At the outer end of the bearing portion formed by the cylindrical section 18, the end member B is provided with a radially projecting arm 19 having a cylindrical bearing section 20 at the outer end thereof. At the opposite end of the cylindrical bearing portion 20, a radially projecting crank arm 21 is provided, which is disposed at substantially an angle of 90 to the arm 19. The crank arm 21 carries a substantially cylindrical crank pin 22 at the extremity thereof, the crank pin being flattened on one side, as indicated at 23, for a purpose hereinafter pointed out.

The operating bar A, together with the end members B-B, is supported and guided by bracket castings C-C fixed to the outer side of the door 12 adjacent to the top and bottom there- Each casting C comprises an inner section 24 having an outwardly opening guideway 25 substantially at right angles to the plane of the door, an outer section 26 which has a guideway 27 extending substantially parallel to the plane of the door, and an intermediate section 28 having a guideway 29 of the form shown in Figure 3. The sections of the casting are suitably reinforced by ribs, as clearly shown in the drawing, and the casting is secured to the door by means of bolts or screws extending through flangelike side portions 3030 at the inner end of the casting.

The guide slot 25 of the inner section cooperates with the bearing section 18 of the corresponding end member so as to restrict movement thereof to a direction perpendicular to the door, toward and away from the same, while at the same time allowing rotary movement thereof and the bar A. The cylindrical bearing portion 20 of the end member B is guided within the opening 2'7 of the section 26 of the casting C so as to compel reciprocation of the part 20 in a path parallel to the plane of the door while permitting rotation thereof. The opening 29 of the intermediate section 28 of the casting C cooperates with the crank arm 19 of the correspon ing end member B, said opening being of such a size and shape as to provide the necessary clearance to permit free swinging movement of the crank member during actuation of the operator and movement of the bearing members in the guide slots 25 and 27.

The keeper members DD, which are disposed above and below the door 12 and secured to the side wall of the car, are of that type having in- Wardly directed guide or cam slots which cooperate with the crank pins of the keeper engaging portions of the actuating means. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the upper keeper D has a slot 39, the main portion of which is substantially parallel to the wall of the car. The slot 39 is open at the left-hand end, as shown in Figure 2, and inclined outwardly at said end. The lower keeper D is of substantially the same design as the upper keeper, but is reversely arranged so that the slot thereof opens upwardly. This keep er has an extended section at the left-hand side thereof, as viewed in Figure l, to which the latch finger 15 is pivoted.

To operate the actuating bar A, a lever 31 of well-known form is employed, the lever being pivoted at its inner end to the operating bar A and having a hand grip at the outer end thereof. To look the lever 31 in door closing position, the

usual latch means 32 is employed, which is sealed 1?.

in a well-known manner.

The operation of my improved combined door actuating and locking device is as follows: Assruning that the doors are in the closed position shown in Figure l, the seal is removed from the g lever 31 and the latch 32 disengaged. The lever is then pulled outwardly away from the door 13 and moved toward the door 12, thereby rotating the operating bar A. The bar will thus be moved from the inner position shown in Figure 2 to the outer dotted line position, that is, during rotation of the bar'A the crank arm'19 will be swung so as to reciprocate the bearing portion 20 of ti e corresponding end member E in the slot or guideway 27' of the corresponding bracket casting C.

At this time, the bearing portion 18 of the corresponding end member is compelled to move laterally outwardly in the guide slot or way 25. The movement of the crank pins 22-22 at the outer ends of the crank arms 21-21 of the two end members BB will thus be absolutely controlled and be moved from the position indicated by 33 in Figure 2 to the position indicated by 3 1. As will be evident, in the position indicated by 3 1 the crank pins entirely clear the cam slots 39-39 1;

of the keepers DD and the door 12 may be swung open manually. The door 13 is then unlatched and also swung to open position. in forcing the doors closed, the door 13 is first swung shut and latched by the finger 15. at this time is in the position 34 indicated in Figure 2. The operating lever 31 at such time is disposed to the right of the bar A, as viewed in Figure I, substantially parallel to the outer side of the door 12. The bar A is then rotated by means of the lever 31 in a direction reverse to that hereinbefore described, thereby rotating the bar A and the crank members thereof from the position 3.4 shown in Figure 2 to the position 33 shown. in said figure. As will be evident, the

The actuator 31 crank pins 22 of the crank members freely enter the guide slots 3939 of the keeper members DD when the door 12 is swung to partly closed position. As soon as the bar A is rotated in door closing direction, the crank arms 2121 of the two keeper engaging end members B-'-B will be swung inwardly of the slots 39 and into engagement with the outer walls of said slots. When the parts reach the position indicated by 33 in Figure 2, the door is fully closed. As will be evident, in this position the fiat sections 23-23 of the crank pins 22-22 bear on the outer walls of the guide slots 3939 of the keepers D-D, thus forming a cam locking means to prevent displacement of the crank arms when the door is tightly closed. t is further pointed out that by offsetting the crank pins with respect to the axis of rotation of the bar A by the double crank arms at each end of the actuating means, the centers of the bearing portions 20-20 of the members B-B and the centers of the crank pins 2222 lie in a common line perpendicular to the plane of the door 12. Inasmuch as the bearing portions 20-20 are engaged in the guide slots 27-27, which are parallel to the plane of the door, any force acting on the crank pins will be directed inwardly toward the center of the bearing members 2020 and at right angles to the inner Walls of the guide slots 2'7-27, thus preventing any tendency to rotate the crank pins about the axis of rotation of the operating bar A.

As will be clear from the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, I have provided an exceedingly simple and efficient guide means for controlling the movement of offset crank members or double crankmembers of door actuating and locking mechanisms, whereby rotation of the operating bar through an arc of 180 is possible so that the double crank members will be disposed in offset relation to the rotary operating bar when the doors are locked. This arrangement eliminates the tendency of the actuator to be rotated through the pressure on the crank pins, thereby eliminating all danger of the actuating and locking means being accidentally unlocked.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In a combined door actuating and locking mechanism for a swinging door member hinged to a wall member, the combination with keepers fixed to the wall member above and below the door, each of said keepers having a cam slot therein; of a rotary actuating member; means for rotating said member; keeper engaging crank members fixed to the top and bottom ends or" said actuating member, each having a crank arm provided with bearing means at the inner end and a crank pin at the outer end eccentric to -bcth said bearing means and said actuating member, said bearing means being laterally oiiset with respect to the axis of rotation of said actuating member, and said crank pin being engageable within the slot of the corresponding keeper; means for guiding said bearing means laterally in a path parallel to the plane of the door member; and means for guiding said actuating member in a path perpendicular to said plane.

2. In a combined door actuating and locking mechanism for a swinging door hinged to a wall member, the combination with keepers fixed to said wall member above and below the door, each keeperchaving an inwardly directed lateral cam slot; of a rotary actuating bar having bearing means thereon concentric with the axis of rotaticn thereof; keeper engaging members at opposite ends of the bar rotatable therewith, each of said keeper engaging members naving a cylin drical bearing eccentric to the axis of rotation of the bearing means of the actuating member, and a keeper engaging pin element eccentric to the axis of both the bearing means and the cylindrical bearing; and a combined supporting and. guide bracket having separate guideways cooperating respectively with said bearing means and bearing member, the guideway which cooperates with the bearing means being perpendicular to the door, and the guideway which cooperates with the bearing member being parallel to the plane of the door.

3. In a combined door actuating and locking mechanism for a swinging door hinged to a wall member, the combination with keepers fixed to said wall member above and below the door, each of said keepers having a laterally inwardly di rected cam slot; of an actuating bar rotatable about its longitudinal axis; double crank members at opposite ends of the bar rotatable and movable therewith, each double crank member including an arm extending radially from said operating cylindrical bearing means at the outer end of said arm, a second arm on said cylindrical bearing means extending at right angles to the first named arm and radial to said bearing means, and a crank pin at the outer end of said second arm adapted to engage within the cam slot of the corresponding keeper; and combined bearing and guide means at the top and bottom of the door for rotatably supporting and guiding said bar in a path perpendicular to the plane of the door and for guiding said cylindrical bearing members of the double crank members in a path substantially parallel to the door.

a. In a combined door actuating and locking mechanism for a swinging door hinged to a Wall member, the combination with keepers fixed to said wall member above and below the door, said keepers having cam slots opening outwardly and extending lengthwise of said wall; or" a rotary actuating element having keeper engaging crank members at opposite ends thereof, said crank members having the inner ends of the crank arms thereof offset with respect to the axis of rotation of the actuating element and having crank pin means at the outer ends of said arms eccentric to the axis of rotation of said actuating element and engaging within the slots of the keepers; and bearing means fixed to the door for rotatably supporting and guiding said actuating element in a path toward and away from the door and guiding said inner ends of the crank arms in paths substantially parallel to the plane of the door.

5. In a combined actuating and locking mechanism for hinged double doors of refrigerator cars, j

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and a crank pin at the outer end of said crank arm cooperating with the guideway of the corresponding keeper; and combined guide and supporting brackets fixed to one of said doors, each bracket having a guideway substantially perpendicular to the plane of the door in which the operating bar is rotatable and reciprocable, and a guideway substantially parallel to the plane of said door in which the bearing means of the corresponding keeper engaging means is rotatable and reciprocable.

6. In a combined actuating and locking mechanism for hinged doors of refrigerator cars, the combination with keepers fixed to the car above and below the doors, said keepers having cam slots; of a vertically disposed operating member having double crank members at opposite ends thereof, each double crank member including a crank arm having keeper engaging means at the outer end thereof eccentric to the axis of rotation of said operating member and having the inner end thereof radially offset from the axis of rotation of said operating member; and combined bearing and guide means on one of the doors for guiding said operating member in a path substantially perpendicular to the plane of said last named door and guiding the inner ends of said crank arms in paths substantially parallel to the plane of said last named door.

STACY B. HASELTINE. 

